Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-09

eight hours had gone, ana Wnen the sec
ond candle had burned to the socket az
other eight hours had gone, and when al
the three candles were gone out thel
the day had passed. Oh, that some of US
instead Of calculating our days and nights
and years by any earthly time-piece,
might calculate them by the numbers OF
opportunities and mercies which are
burning down and burning out, never tc
be relighted, lest at last we be amid the
foolish virgins who cried: "Our lamps
have gone OUT"
Again, ] commend the behavior of the
disciples to all who are tempted. have
heard men in mid-life say they had never
been led into temptation. If you have
not felt temptation it is because you have
not tried to do right. A man hoppled and
handcuffed, as long as he lies quietly,
does not test
TIE POWER OF THE CHAIN;
but when he rises up, and with determin-
alton resolves to snap the handcuff or
break the hopple, then he finds the power
of the iron. And there are men who
have been for ten, and twenty, and thirty
years bound hand and foot by evil habits
who have never felt the power of the
chain, because they have never tried to
break it. It is very easy to go on down
with the stream and with the wind, lying
/ on your oars; but Just turn around and
try to go against the wind and the tide,
and youlwill find it is q different matter.
As long as we go down the current of our
evil habit we seem to get along smooth
Iy; but if after q While we turn around
and head the other way, towards Christ,
and pardon, and heaven, oh, then how we
have to lay to the oars! You all have
your temptation. You have one kind,
you another, you another, not one person
escaping.
1t is folly for you to say to some one I:
81 could not be tempted as you are"
The lion thinks it is so strange that the
fish should be caught with hook. The
fish thinks it is so strange that the lion
should be caught with trap. You see
some man with cold, phlegmatic tempera-
ment, and you say: 81 suppose that man
has not any TEN ptation." Yes, as much
as you have. In his phlegmatic nature he
has temptation to Incidence and CEN
seriousness and over eating and drinking
d temptation to ignore the great work of
life; temptation to lay down an obstacle
in the way of all good enterprises. The
temperament decides the styles of tempta-
ton; but sanguine or lympathic, you will
have temptation. Satan has q graphing
hook just fitted for your soul. man
never lives beyond the reach of tempta-
ton. You say when man gets to be
seventy or eighty years of age
HE IS SAFE
from all satanic assault. You are very
much mistaken. A man at eighty five
years of age has as many temptations as
a man at twenty-five. They are only diff
ferent styles of temptation.
Ask the aged Christian whether he is
never assaulted of the power of darkness.
If you think you have conquered the
power of temptation, you ARE very much
mistaken.
A man who wanted throne pretended
he was very weak end sickly, and if he
was elevated he would soon be gone. He
CrsWled upon his crutches to the throne,
and having attained it he was strong
again. He said at was well for me
while l was looking for the scepter Of
another that I should stoop, bat now that
have found it, why should l stoop any
longer?" and he threw away his crutches
and was well again.
How illustrative of the power of temp
tatiOn! You think it is a weak and Grip
pied influence; but give it chance and
it will be tyrant in your soul. 1t will
grind you to atoms. No man has fiuslly
and forever overcome temptation
until he has left the world. But what
are you to do with these temptations?
Tell everybody about them? All, what
silly man you would be! As well might
commander in fort send word to the
enemy which gate of the castle is least
barred, for you to go and tell what
all your frailties are, and what your
temptations are. The world will only
caricature you, will only scoff at you.
What then must g. man do -? When tie
wave strikes him with terrific dash shall
he have nothing to hold on to? In this
contest with "the world, the flesh, and
the devil" shall man have no help, no
counsel?
Our text intimates something different.
In those eyes that wept with the Bethany
sisters see shining hope. In that voice
which spake until the grave broke and the
widow of Main had back her lost son, and
the sea slept, and sorrow stupendous
woke up
IN THE ARMS OR RAPTURE.
In that voice 1 hear the command
and the promise: ssCast thy burden
on the Lord, and He will sustain thee"
Why should you carry your burdens any
longer? Oh, you weary soul, Christ has
been in this conflict. He says: "My
grace shall be sufficient for you. You
shall not be tempted above that you are
able to bear" Therefore, with an your
temptations, go, as these disciples did,
and tell Jesus.
Again: l commend the behavior of the
disciples to ell those who are abused and
Slandered and prosecuted. When Herod
put John to death, the disciples knew
that their own heads were not safe. And
do you know that every John has
HerOd? There are persons in life who do
not wish you very we'll. Your misfortunes
are honeycCmbs to them. Through their
teeth they hiss at you, misinterpret your
motives, and would be glad to see you
upset. No man gets through life without
having a pummeling. Some SANDER
comes after you, horned and husked and
hoofed, to gore and trampIe you; and
what are you to do? l tell you
plainly that all who serve Christ
must suffer persecution. 1t is the worst
sign in the world for you to be able to
say: 81 haven't an enemy In the world"
woe is pronounced in the Bible against
fnn g